 Bound as above; spine leather with small chips and cracks, sides with small unobtrusive areas of rubbing and light discoloration. Binding overall solid and still
attractive; interior clean and nice. (25320)

“IBelieve She Was Not Only a Good Woman, but Good in an Eminent Degree”

Wesley, John. An extract of the life of Madam Guion. London: Printed by R. Hawes, And sold at the Foundry ... & at the Rev. Mr. Wesley's Preaching-Houses, 1776. 12mo ( ). 230 pp.$400.00

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 Madam Guyon (Jeanne Marie Bouvier de La Motte Guyon, 1648–1717) was a French mystic and an advocate of Quietism. Here Wesley extracts portions of her autobiography, first published in English in 1772, and in his comments he “corrects” her doctrinal and other “errors,” especially those associated with her mysticism — at the same time delivering the unequivocally approving comment of our caption.

“The grand source of all her mistakes was this, The not being guided by the written word. She did not take the Scripture for the rule of her actions: at most, it was but the secondary rule” (p. vi).

 ESTC T26579. Publisher's quarter brown calf with stone pattern marbled paper sides, wear at edges through to the boards. Internally, age-toning, some brown stains, finger soiling, short tears in margins. Overall a decent copy of a book scarce on the market. (35220)

 First American edition of journal excerpts from one of the founders of Methodism covering “his embarking for Georgia, to his return to London” with many meditations on faith. No further volumes were published in America. The text concludes with two advertisement pages for books sold by John Dickens for the “use of Methodist Societies in the United States of America” and to profit said societies; two leaves of the text are lacking here.

Provenance: Inked 19th-century signatures of John P. Malone and John R. Malonue on front pastedown, signature of James Wyche dated 1823 on title-page with scratched out signature of John O Malone; an undated note at the back states “Journals of the Founders of Methodism belonging to James Wyche, Granville County, Carolina.” Wyche was the first president of the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad.

 ESTC W32242; Evans 29861. 18th-century sheep with delicately gilt red leather title-label and gilt ruling on spine, rubbed at joints and corners, two leaves lacking as above; light to moderate age-toning with some spotting, one missing corner touching catchword, inked signatures and note as above. A sturdy and attractive little volume priced according to its faults. (37267)

Wheatley, James. An extract of the life and death of Mr. John Janeway. London: John Paramore, 1783. 12mo (19 cm, 7.5"). 40 pp.$300.00

 Originally printed in 1749, this piece was excerpted and edited by James Wheatley from James Janeway’s Invisibles, realities, demonstrated in the holy life and triumphant death of Mr. John Janeway. John Janeway was a Puritan scholar who died at an early age; his brother’s account of his religious experiences was considered exemplary reading for quite some time, and went through numerous editions.

The title-page proclaims “This book is not to be sold, but given away.”

For more RELIGION, click here.For more BIOGRAPHIES, mostly 20th-Century “General Reading” & Inexpensive, click here.This book also appears in the GENERAL
MISCELLANY  click here.

Refuting the“Popular Pleas”of Dissenters

White, John. The third and last letter to a gentleman dissenting from the Church
of England... The second edition. London: C. Davis, W. Craighton, & M. Cooper, 1745. 8vo (21.7 cm, 8.6"). [2], 85, [1] pp.$450.00

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 Defense of various practices of the Church of England, although the author acknowledges a certain want of discipline among his coreligionists; the piece is followed by an appendix addressing the question of whether Dissenters are being forced to act against their consciences in subscribing to the Church Articles. This is a reissue of the first edition; in some copies, a 10-line errata slip is pasted over the printed 3-line errata on p. 85, but this example is as issued, with the printed errata only.

Whitefield, George. A journal of a voyage from London to Savannah in Georgia. In two parts. Part I. From London to Gibraltar. Part II. From Gibraltar to Savannah. [bound with the same author's] A continuation of the Reverend Mr. Whitefield's journal from his arrival at Savannah, to his return to London. London: Pr. for James Hutton, 1739. 8vo. [2] ff., 38 pp., [1] f.London: Pr. for James Hutton, 1739. 8vo. 55, [1 (blank)] pp.$2000.00

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 George Whitefield (1714–70), a Calvinist preacher who had also been an early follower of the Wesleys during the nascent years of Methodism, was a prime mover in the Great Awakening in the English colonies in American during the second quarter of the 18th century. The present works recount his travel to and in Georgia in aid of the Wesleys' efforts there; the Continuation offers half a dozen pages speaking to time spent in Ireland.

Fifth edition of the Voyage from London and second edition of the Continuation.

 First edition: The Rev. Whitefield's reply to Bishop Edmund Gibson, who had rebuked Whitefield for presenting himself as an “enthusiast” who received direct revelation from God. Whitefield (1714–70), a Calvinistic Methodist whose friendship with John Wesley ended over theological disputes, was a controversial evangelist, a prolific sermonist, and a prime mover in the American Great Awakening of the mid-18th century. Here he not only rebuts Gibson's charges, but also accuses the Church of England of preaching false doctrine.

(Whitefield, George). Presbyter of the Church of England. [drop-title] A supplement to the Rev. Mr. Whitefield's Answer to the Bishop of London's last pastoral letter. [London: No publisher/printer, 1739]. 8vo (20.6 cm, 8.1"). 8 pp.$475.00

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 Sole edition: Supplement to the Rev. George Whitefield's reply to Bishop Edmund Gibson, in which Whitefield took the Anglican Church to task. This anonymously published item contains “Notes on the Pastoral Letter,” an attack on Gibson's language and theology in the pastoral letter which started the controversy, and “A Remark on the Weekly Miscellany of August 18th, 1739; with an Extract of a Letter from Mr. Seward, Relating to the Writer of the Same.”

Whitworth, Charles Whitworth, Baron. An account of Russia as it was in the year 1710. [Twickenham]: Printed at Strawberry-Hill, 1758. Small 8vo (18 cm; 7.25"). xxiv, 158, [2] pp.$825.00

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 First edition and sole Strawberry Hill edition; second and third editions appeared from other publishers in 1761 and 1771. As handsomely printed a work as one would expect of Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill press, this bears a title-page offering an engraved vignette of Strawberry Hill and presents Walpole's account of the author and his assessment of the Account as an “Advertisement” occupying pp. [iii]–xxiv. The errata appear on the last leaf. Limited to 700 copies.

Whitworth was perhaps the most effective English ambassador to Russia in the first half of the 18th century. His Account was originally written for the foreign office and remained in manuscript till Walpole printed it. The DNB (on-line) writes of it, “Succinct and perceptive, it was a survey of Petrine Russia which held its readership through to the century's end and beyond.”

Horace Walpole (1717–97), the 4th earl of Orford, is best remembered as the author of the Gothic novel The Castle of Otranto. Among bibliophiles he is also remembered for his private press, variously known as the Officina Arbutana or the Strawberry Hill Press. Walpole's almost fantastic wealth allowed him the connoisseur's luxury of maintaining this noble enterprise, which he operated in the arena of the rebirth of fine printing in Great Britain that was being carried on by the Foulis brothers, Baskerville, and others.

 In this monthly journal of criticism and original German literature, three monthly issues constituted a volume. Present here for 1774 are vols. 2 and 3 (April–September), for 1775 are vols. 1 and 2 (January–June), and for 1776 also 1 and 2.

Political coverage is secondary to the literary and philosophical content here, butin the 1776 volumes the coverage for England is almost exclusively devoted to America.

The journal's editor, Wieland (1733–1813), was a complex figure of the German Enlightenment: a poet, novelist, political theorist, and pedagogue. His critical review/journal was of considerable influence.

 Volume 2 for 1774: Modern marbled boards; considerable foxing and some waterstaining. Volume 3 for 1774: Contemporary wrappers of brown paper sprinkled with black; uncut; considerable foxing and some waterstain lines. Volumes for 1775: the two are bound in one volume of brown leather, spine darkened to black and flaking; plain endpapers. Binding shows wear, but text clean. Volumes for 1776: Contemporary calf, gilt spines; covers with some stains and abraded at edges, some distressing of the spines. Interesting “wallpaper” endpapers in blue-green and white of a floral and wave pattern. Good++ condition. Very definitely a mixed, partial set and definitely an interesting array of presentations. (35274)

 As a writer, Wieland (1733–1813) evolved and changed course multiple times. The Adventures of Don Sylvio is hisfirst novel, all previous endeavors having been poetry, and it dates from his post-pietistic stage during which his works show the influence of English and other writers. Clearly Cervantes is paramount here, but other influences that scholars have found shaping the characters of the romance are Fielding's Tom Jones, Richardson's Joseph Andrews, and even Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.

Wieland's poetry of the late 1760s and early 1770s, offering light and graceful romances, had great appeal among the public. In Musarion, here in the anonymously published first edition, he explores the nature of love and advocates a rational unity of the sensual and spiritual.

An interesting work by this German Enlightenment writer.

 Recent boards covered with German-style brown paper speckled with black. Title-page with itsmemorable engraved vignettecut down and mounted, and browned from this with next three leaves browned also at edges; last leaf torn into text and repaired ham-handedly on verso, covering small portions of six letters and the tailpiece. Otherwise light age-toning and a small amount of foxing. A work not widely held. (34221)

 First edition of the Rev. Willard's collected sermons on the Westminster Shorter
Catechism, originally delivered as monthly lectures over 20 years' time. This posthumously
printed volume opens with an account of the author, written by the Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton;
Willard, one of the last of the great orthodox Puritan preachers of New England, was a clergyman
noted for hisopposition to the Salem witchcraft trials and for serving asacting president
of Harvard between the tenures of Increase Mather and John Leverett.

Evans notes that this is “the first folio volume, other than Laws, andthe largest work
up to this time printed in the United States.” This was a subscription printing, and includes
Benjamin Franklin's father and brother, among other dignitaries, in its list of names; the sheets
came from several different presses, and thus “it has fallen out . . . that the Pages for a
considerable way, are numbered over again” (p. 666). The title-page is printed in red and black.
The binding featuresa very unusual 18th-century repair job: to reinforce the joints, an early
hand stitched along either side of the front joint and part way down the back.

 Evans 2828; ESTC W30456; Sabin 104075; Streeter
Sale 675. Contemporary mottled sheep framed and panelled in blind fillets
with corner fleurons, a blind roll around the central panel; small scuffs, extremities rubbed, joints
cracked and fragile, with early sewn repairs as above. Front free endpaper partially separated.
Inscriptions as above; preface with additional early inked inscription in upper margin and inked
numeral in lower margin, a very slim “mag strip” in one gutter margin and no other institutional
markings. Pages age-toned and offset with varying degrees of spotting and staining; some
corners dog-eared. Three leaves each with short tear from upper margin, just touching text
without loss; a few leaves crumpled without tearing. First portion of volume with intermittent
early inked marginalia, one note partially shaved. A milestone of early American printing and an
interesting copy. (31011)

Wilson, William, ed. & illus. A missionary voyage to the southern Pacific Ocean, performed in the years 1796, 1797, 1798, in the ship Duff, commanded by Captain James Wilson. Compiled from journals of the officers and the missionaries; and illustrated with maps, charts, and views ... London: Pr. by S. Gosnell for T. Chapman, 1799. 4to (28.5 cm, 11.25"). [12], c, 420, [12] pp.; 7 fold. maps, 6 plts.$2000.00

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 First edition. This account of a mission to Polynesia and Tahiti (funded by the London Missionary Society) supplies, it must be said, much more by way of the missionary travellers' interested observations of lands and people's exotic to them than it does reports of the proselytizations they pursued; it was compiled by chief mate William Wilson from his own journals and those of Captain James Wilson. Dr. Thomas Haweis, co-founder of the London Missionary Society, edited the work and the Rev. Samuel Greatheed provided (anonymously) the “Preliminary discourse; containing a geographical and historical account of the islands where missionaries have settled, and of others with which they are connected.” The Hill catalogue says, “The narrative is fresh, although sometimes naive, and provides a glimpse of everyday life on the islands that the mariner or naturalist didn't consider worth reporting.” There is a most interesting Appendix, also, canvassing everything from native dress to houses to dances to cookery to canoes to marriage and the place of women to funeral customs — not forgetting human sacrifice and sports.

The volume is illustrated with six plates and seven oversized, folding maps, and includes an extensive list of subscribers. An inferior, less expensive edition appeared in the same year, printed by Gillet; the present example is sometimes identified as the Gosnell edition to distinguish it from the Gillet production.

 ESTC T87461; Hill, Pacific Voyages, 1894; Sabin 49480. Contemporary reverse sheep, framed and panelled in blind, spine with leather title-label; leather peeling at extremities, front joint repaired and back one starting from head, spine with label rubbed and two compartments discolored. Hinges (inside) reinforced with cloth tape; front free endpaper lacking. Front pastedown with institutional bookplates; dedication leaf with pressure-stamp in upper margin and rubber-stamped numeral in lower margin. Title-page and dedication with offsetting to margins; title-page with small hole not touching text. First map foxed, with tears along two folds; sixth map with jagged tear along one inner corner; other maps lightly foxed. Occasional stray small spots of staining and some offsetting from plates onto opposing pages; a few page edges slightly ragged. In sum, in fact, a sound, clean, and pleasant volume. (19603)

 As an influential Dutch statesman, Johan de Witt (1625–72) corresponded with a variety of important people throughout his life. This six-volume collection of his international correspondence with numerous statesmen spans 17 years.

The first volume contains letters to and from William Boreel, the Dutch Ambassador to France, as well as Coenraet Van Beuningen, a director of the Dutch East India Company and experienced diplomat. Vol. II contains more van Beuningen letters as well as correspondence with Pieter de Groot, the Dutch Ambassador to Sweden and later Dutch Ambassador to France. The third volume offers letters to and from Willem Nieupoort, the Dutch Ambassador to England who helped negotiate the Treaty of Westminster which provided for the return of the colony of New Netherland to England. Vol. IV contains correspondence with diplomats L. de Nassau, S. van Hoorn, M. van Gogh, Johan Meerman, and Johan Boreel. The fifth volume contains chiefly letters exchanged with van Beuningen, plus some correspondence with Nanningh Kaiser, a diplomat in Denmark; Govert van Slingelandt, Dutch Ambassador to the Republic of Prussia, Sweden, Poland, and eventually Denmark; Pieter Vogelsangh, Dutch Ambassador to the kings of Sweden and Denmark; and Frederick van Dorp, Dutch Ambassador to the kings of Sweden and Poland. Vol. VI contains more correspondence with van Slingelandt and Vogelsangh, plus P. de Hubert, W. van Haeren, I. van den Honert, J. Ysbrants, N. Heyns, and G. van Reede van Ameronge. An important work for the Dutch in America and the East Indies.

 Goldsmiths'-Kress 6182; STCN 20487306. Not in Alden & Landis, European Americana. Blind-tooled vellum over boards, spines with raised bands, blind decoration, and hand-written lettering; covers with double-ruled borders and central panels containing an arabesque medallion; all edges speckled red. Boards generally slightly bowed with mild rubbing; all but one volume with corner of front free endpaper excised where probably there were ownership markings. Light to moderate age-toning with the occasional spot; some page corners bumped; paper lost to corner of plate leaf in vol. I (a duplicate of the plate in vol. III), not touching image. A well-kept and illuminating compilation of writings from some of the most influential men of the Dutch Golden Age. (35974)

 Johan de Witt was one of Europe's greatest statesmen of the 17th century: Appointed the “councillor pensionary” (i.e., the political leader) of Holland (1653–72), he successfully led the United Provinces in the First and Second Anglo-Dutch wars (1652–54, 1665–67) while at the same time effectively consolidating the country's position as a formidable commercial and naval power.

This text with a sizable subject index records de Witt's public resolutions from 2 August 1653 to 19 December 1668 on a variety of topics, including the price of gold, the East India Company, and England. In the dedication, vande Water, the printer of this work, notes that he is producing it so that the documents will not be lost to the future.

Evidence of Readership: Notes referring to specific pages written on front free endpaper and a newspaper clipping dated 25 April 1926 laid in text.

 STCN 216098602. Speckled calf, gilt spine with stamped and lettered compartments, all edges speckled red; top of spine artfully repaired, joints strengthened, gently rubbed. A few gatherings age-toned and one section at rear with band of very light waterstaining to foremargin; small holes in foremargin of two leaves, possibly created during manufacture, small tear to bottom margin of another. A well-organized look at what was considered important during the middle of the Dutch Golden Age. (35705)

 Johan de Witt was one of Europe's greatest statesmen of the 17th century: Appointed the “councillor pensionary” (i.e., the political leader) of Holland (1653–72), he successfully led the United Provinces in the First and Second Anglo-Dutch wars (1652–54, 1665–67) while at the same time effectively consolidating the country's position as a formidable commercial and naval power.

The present work publishes the resolutions that the States General secretly reached during Witt's years leading the republic, matters being related that would have led to political, diplomatic, or economic trouble or reprisals if publicly known in “real time.” Vol. I covers the period 26 February 1653 to 17 December 1658 and II from 17 January 1659 to 20 December 1668.

 First Irish printing, following the first London edition of the same year, of these two vitriolic satires directed against William Pitt. Pitt, as well as the king, was a fruitful subject for Pindar’s scathing attacks; here the poet defends the prince while describing Pitt and his allies in terms that border on the offensive.

 ESTC T121646; NCBEL, II, 695. Removed from a nonce volume and now in a Mylar folder. One corner creased; first and last page lightly spotted, otherwise clean. (5649)

Wyvill, Christopher. A summary explanation of the principles of Mr. Pitt’s intended bill for amending the representation of the people in Parliament...second edition. London: John Stockdale, 1785. 8vo (23 cm, 9"). 31, [9] pp.$150.00

 Uncut, untrimmed copy: Second edition of this analysis of Pitt’s speech regarding redefining of voting and representation among the “decayed boroughs,” written by the founder of the Yorkshire County Association, a group engaged in active lobbying of Parliament for governmental reform. The last eight pages of the pamphlet advertise other publications by Stockdale.

 ESTC T11040. Sewing almost entirely gone, now in a Mylar folder. Title-page stamped by a now-defunct institution, with numeral inked in an early hand in upper margin; three other pages stamped. Pages uncut; some corners dog-eared. (7253)

Click any image where the hand appears on
mouse-over, for an enlargement.

 From humble carter to revered and beatified lay Franciscan is not an easy course to pursue in life, but Sebastián de Aparicio (1502-1600) accomplished it in Mexico. Although he was married multiple times, he is said to have remained chaste, deciding in 1574 to abandon his secular lifestyle for that of a lay Franciscan. He is said to have had great ability to manage and calm animals, including near-wild bulls. His life was filled with teaching, begging, and accomplishing near-impossible things. Offered here is the first edition of Ximénez's biography and the fine album of plates illustrating events in Aparicio's life (see our caption, above).

Finding the “life” and the volume of plates together is uncommon. Only by happenstance did the two volumes come to us within months of one another, from two different continents, allowing us to marry them for this offering. For example, in the U.S., only the Lilly and Bancroft Libraries report owning both works. There is some question as to the number of plates in a complete copy of the Colección: Some sources call for an engraved title-page and 128 plates, while others call for 129 plates. There seems not to have been an edition of the Vita in Spanish.

 Early French printing of this very successful Peruvian history, which went through numerous editions in languages including Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, and English. Zárate arrived in Peru as part of the retinue of the first viceroy, and served there from 1543 until 1548. His work was first printed in its original Spanish in 1555, but did not appear in French until 1700; the present translation was done by S. de Broë, Seigneur de Citry et de la Guette. The first volume is illustrated with an oversized folding map and fourteen engraved plates, including the well known depiction of a nattily dressed European gentleman, reclining on a raft-like cushion, borne across a stream by two Indians.

Married set: The two contemporary bindings are similar but not identical; both are of mottled leather, one more coarsely grained (and acid-etched) than the other, while one has floral and the other pomegranate motifs gilt-stamped in spine compartments. The match was made by a previous, Spanish-speaking collector, who has left pencilled notes in Spanish in both volumes.

 Sabin 106261; Palau 379641. Contemporary mottled sheep and calf as above, corners and edges worn, all joints cracking, both volumes with minor worming to front covers and pinholes to spines; vol. I with loss of leather over spine head (half of top compartment). Pencilled check marks scattered throughout; front free endpaper and recto of last text page of vol. II with annotations. (3446)

 Classic and standard work on the discovery, conquest, and subsequent civil war periods. Sent to Peru to examine the financial status of the viceroyalty, the Spanish treasury official Zárate made use of his visit to compile a history of the conquest of the Incas and the early portion of the subsequent civil wars among the Spanish conquerors. The work was originally published in 1555 and in 1700 was translated into French by S. de Broë, seigneur de Citry et de La Guette; this Paris printing of de Broë’s translation is illustrated with numerous maps and engravings of scenes including a ritual sacrifice.

 Sabin 106266; Palau 379645. Volumes bound in paper wrappers, back wrapper lacking in both cases; front wrappers reinforced with printed papers taken from other items. Reverse of frontispiece in vol. I and front pastedown in vol. II with small bookplates of private collector. Edges untrimmed. Scattered spots; pages and plates generally in good clean condition. (5257)